Flytrap



Oct. 20,1925.' 1,558,251

J. V. DE WITT FLYTRAP Filed lay 5,' `1924 Sheets-Sheet l j 'M ,l mi

Q o .l o j, //f/ ATTORNEY Oct. 20, 1925. 1 1558,251

J. V. DE WITT FLYTRAP Filed May 1924 Klim/wa l f .I n Bymj 5 mvemon WITNESS;

` ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 20, 1925.

UNITED STATES `JAMIIEFS V. DE WITT, OF VIDOR, TEXAS.

FLYTRAP.

Application filed May 5, 1924.k Serial No. 711,235.

To all 107mm t may concern.

Be it known that JAMES V. Dn lVrr'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vider, in the county of Orange and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Flytraps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a fly trap, the general object of the invention being to provide means for ridding cattle from fiies and catching the flies so that they can be destroyed. p

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the various parts of the trap are operated by the cattle passing through the trap.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing' my invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure l is a side viewof the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is an end view thereof.

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view.

Figure 5 is a view of the front end of the door 5 and showing the flap thereon.

Figure G is a longitudinal sectional view showing a modification.

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view through Figure 6.

Figure '8 is a. horizontal sectional view showing the means for opening one of the rear doors from the platform.

In these views, 1 indicates the body of the trapwhich has both ends and its top open. The rear end is closed by a pair of doors 2 which may be normally held closed by springs 53 though weights may bel used when desired. y The major portions of these doors are formed of flexible material, as shown at 4, which may be rubber, burlap or the like, so that as the animal passes between the doors this material will engage practically all parts of the saine to brush the files therefrom. These doors overlap when closed, as shown in Figure 3 and the flexible material may be slitted, as shown in this Figure 3 to make it more flexible.

A door 5 is hinged at its rear end to the rear part of the trap and said door extends at an angle between the sides of the body. Its free end is provid-ed with a strip 7 of flexible material for engaging the floor when the door is in lowered position. This door is held open by spring means 8 carried by a yokeshaped supporting frame 8 at the front of the device and this frame helps to support the chamber 9. This chamber 9, formed of wire gauze or the like, is arranged at the upper' rear end of the trap above the doors 2 and the upper part of this chamber is formed of a section 10 which has a narrow slot 11 in its bottom through which the flies can pass from the main part of the chamber-into said section but the bottom of the section is so formed that the flies cannot return through the slot. The section 10 is preferably made removable. An opening 12 places the chamber in communication with the interior of the body, said opening being arranged below the door 5 so that the flies brushed from the cattle will be directed into said chamber through the opening by the top door when the same is in lowered position.l A slide 13 is arranged to cover said opening and this slide is connected with the door 5 by a cable 14 which passes through an eye at the top of a U-shaped supporting frame 14, so that as the door 5 islowered the slide will be raised and vice versa. A curtain 15 may be suspended in the body of the trap for brushing thev flies off the back of the animal as it passes through the same. A flexible member 16 is arranged for opening the doors 2 and a similar member 17 is provided for closing the door 5.

As the animal enters the trap the doors 2 are pulled open so that the animal can start to pass through and as soon as the animal get-s his head through, the doors are permitted to swing shut so that the flexible parts will brush the flies from the body of the animal. At the saine time the top door is lowered so as to prevent the flies from escaping from the trap. Thus the flies must enter the chamber 9 and from this chamber they will pass into the removable section 10 from which they cannot return. As soon as the top door is released and start-s to move upwardly the slide will be actuated to close the opening of the chamber to prevent the escape of flies therefrom.

In the modification a movable platform 18 and the like.

is placed in the body so that it will be lowered when an animal steps on the same and this platform is connected by the cables 19 with the doors 2 and 5 so that these doors will be automatically actuated bythe Weight of the animal. Thus the trap is actuated by the animal itself.

F rom the foregoing it will be seen that I provide a trap Which will eifectually remove flies from animals and the flies caught in the trap can be used as food for chickens The trap is mainly designed for cows though it Will 'of cou-rse be understood that it may be Vused for other animals4 It is thought from :the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of my invention Will be readily apparent.

l desire it to'be understood that I may make changes in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the Several parts, provided that suoli changes fall With- 'in the scope of the appended claims.

TWhat I claim is l. A trap of the class described comprising a body open at its top and front, doors closing the rear end of the body and having iiexble portions for brushing` the flies from the body of an animal passing through the same, atop `door adapted to close the top and front of the body in rear of the animal when vthe door is moved downwardly, a trap chamber ,opening into the body, means associated therewith for catching and holding the flies Aentering the same, and a door for closing the vtrap chamber and means for moving this door by the movement of the top door.

Q. A trap of the class described comprising a body lopen at its top kand front, doors closing the rear end of the body and having flexible portions for brushing the iiies from the 'body of an animal passing through the same, a top door adapted to close the top tions for brushing flies from the animal, a -top door hin-ged at its rear end and extending at an angle into the body, a trap cham- .ber formed of Wire mesh opening into the body under the top door, a removable sec- -tion on the top of the chamber having its bottoni formed so that the iiies can enter from the trap cham-ber but cannot leave the section, `a .door for controlling the entrance into the trap chamber, and means for actuating the said door by the movement `of the top door.

Ll. A trap `of the class described comprising a body, a pair ot' doors .closing the rear end thereof, said doors having flexible portions for brushing lllies from the animal, a top door hinged at its rear end and extending at an angle into the body, a trap chamber for-ined of Wire mesh opening into the body under the top door, a. removable section on the top of the chamber having its bottom formed so that the flies can enter from the trap chamber but cannot leave the section, a door for controlling the entrance into the trap chamber, means for closing the top door and opening the trap chamber door by an animal entering the trap, and a curtain `in the body for brushing ies from the back of the animal.

In testimony whereof lI aiiix my signature.

JAMES V. DE VITT. 

